I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4300 

To improve the Federal flight deck officers program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 18, 2015 

Mr. BRAT (for himself, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. BROOKS of Alabama, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. 

BRIDENSTINE, Mr. MEADOWS, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. GOSAR, and Mr. 

JONES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To improve the Federal flight deck officers program, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Arm All Pilots Act 

5 of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FACILITATION OF AND LIMITATIONS ON TRAINING 

2 OF FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS. 

3 (a) IMPROVED ACCESS TO TRAINING FACILITIES.— 

4 Section 44921(c)(2)(C)(ii) of title 49, United States Code, 

5 is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘The training of’’ and inserting 

7 the following: 

8 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The training 

9 of’’; and 

10 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(II) ACCESS TO TRAINING FA12 CILITIES.—Not later than 180 days 

13 after the date of the enactment of the 

14 Arm All Pilots Act of 2015, the Sec15 retary shall— 

16 ‘‘(aa) designate 5 additional 

17 firearms training facilities located 

18 in various regions of the United 

19 States for Federal flight deck of20 ficers relative to the number of 

21 such facilities available on the 

22 day before such date of enact23 ment; 

24 ‘‘(bb) designate firearms 

25 training facilities approved before 

26 such date of enactment for recurVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:46 Dec 24, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4300.IH H4300

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1 rent training of Federal flight 

2 deck officers as facilities ap3 proved for initial training and 

4 certification of pilots seeking to 

5 be deputized as Federal flight 

6 deck officers; and 

7 ‘‘(cc) designate additional 

8 firearms training facilities for re9 current training of Federal flight 

10 deck officers relative to the num11 ber of such facilities available on 

12 the day before such date of en13 actment.’’. 

14 (b) FIREARMS REQUALIFICATION FOR FEDERAL

15 FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS.—Section 44921(c)(2)(C)(iii) of 

16 such title is amended— 

17 (1) by striking ‘‘The Under Secretary shall’’ 

18 and inserting the following: 

19 ‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Sec20 retary shall’’; 

21 (2) in subclause (I), as designated by paragraph 

22 (1), by striking ‘‘the Under Secretary’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘the Secretary, but not more frequently than once 

24 every 6 months,’’; and 

25 (3) by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(II) USE OF FACILITIES FOR

2 REQUALIFICATION.—The Secretary 

3 shall allow a Federal flight deck offi4 cer to requalify to carry a firearm 

5 under the program through training 

6 at a private or government-owned gun 

7 range certified to provide firearm re8 qualification training. 

9 ‘‘(III) SELF-REPORTING.—The 

10 Secretary shall determine that a Fed11 eral flight deck officer has met the re12 quirements to requalify to carry a 

13 firearm under the program if— 

14 ‘‘(aa) the officer reports to 

15 the Secretary that the officer has 

16 participated in a sufficient num17 ber of hours of training to re18 qualify to carry a firearm under 

19 the program; and 

20 ‘‘(bb) the administrator of 

21 the facility at which the officer 

22 conducted the requalification 

23 training verifies that the officer 

24 participated in that number of 

25 hours of training.’’. 


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1 (c) LIMITATIONS ON TRAINING.—Section 

2 44921(c)(2) of such title is amended by adding at the end 

3 the following: 

4 ‘‘(D) LIMITATIONS ON TRAINING.— 

5 ‘‘(i) INITIAL TRAINING.—The Sec6 retary may require— 

7 ‘‘(I) initial training of not more 

8 than 5 days for a pilot to be deputized 

9 as a Federal flight deck officer; 

10 ‘‘(II) the pilot to be physically 

11 present at the training facility for not 

12 more than 2 days of such training; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(III) not more than 3 days of 

15 such training to be in the form of cer16 tified online training administered by 

17 the Department of Homeland Secu18 rity. 

19 ‘‘(ii) RECURRENT TRAINING.—The 

20 Secretary may require— 

21 ‘‘(I) recurrent training of not 

22 more than 2 days, not more fre23 quently than once every 5 years, for a 

24 pilot to maintain deputization as a 

25 Federal flight deck officer; 


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1 ‘‘(II) the pilot to be physically 

2 present at the training facility for a 

3 full-day training session for not more 

4 than one day of such training; and 

5 ‘‘(III) not more than one day of 

6 such training to be in the form of cer7 tified online training administered by 

8 the Department of Homeland Secu9 rity.’’. 

10 (d) OTHER MEASURES TO FACILITATE TRAINING.— 

11 Section 44921(e) of such title is amended— 

12 (1) by striking ‘‘Pilots participating’’ and in13 serting the following: 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Pilots participating’’; and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(2) FACILITATION OF TRAINING.— 

17 ‘‘(A) TIME OFF FOR TRAINING.—An air 

18 carrier shall permit a Federal flight deck officer 

19 or a pilot seeking to be deputized as a Federal 

20 flight deck officer to take a reasonable amount 

21 of leave from work to participate in initial and 

22 recurrent training for the program. An air car23 rier shall not be obligated to provide such an of24 ficer or pilot compensation for such leave. 


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1 ‘‘(B) PRACTICE AMMUNITION.—At the re2 quest of a Federal flight deck officer, the Sec3 retary shall provide to the officer sufficient 

4 practice ammunition to conduct at least one 

5 practice course every month.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. CARRIAGE OF FIREARMS BY FEDERAL FLIGHT 

7 DECK OFFICERS. 

8 (a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.—Section 44921(f) of title 

9 49, United States Code, is amended— 

10 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 

11 paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and 

12 (2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 

13 following: 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall author15 ize a Federal flight deck officer to carry a firearm 

16 while engaged in providing air transportation or 

17 intrastate air transportation. The authority provided 

18 to a Federal flight deck officer under this paragraph 

19 includes the authority to carry a firearm— 

20 ‘‘(A) on the officer’s body, loaded, and 

21 holstered; 

22 ‘‘(B) when traveling to a flight duty as23 signment, throughout the duty assignment, and 

24 when traveling from a flight duty assignment to 


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1 the officer’s home or place where the officer is 

2 residing when traveling; and 

3 ‘‘(C) in the passenger cabin and while 

4 traveling in a cockpit jump seat. 

5 ‘‘(2) CONCEALED CARRY.—A Federal flight 

6 deck officer shall make reasonable efforts to keep 

7 the officer’s firearm concealed when in public. 

8 ‘‘(3) PURCHASE OF FIREARM BY OFFICER.— 

9 Notwithstanding subsection (c)(1), a Federal flight 

10 deck officer may purchase a firearm and carry that 

11 firearm aboard an aircraft of which the officer is the 

12 pilot in accordance with this section if the firearm 

13 is of a type that may be used under the program.’’. 

14 (b) CARRIAGE OF FIREARMS ON INTERNATIONAL

15 FLIGHTS.—Paragraph (5) of section 44921(f) of such 

16 title, as redesignated by subsection (a)(1), is amended to 

17 read as follows: 

18 ‘‘(5) CARRYING FIREARMS OUTSIDE UNITED

19 STATES.— 

20 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In consultation with 

21 the Secretary of State, the Secretary— 

22 ‘‘(i) may take such action as may be 

23 necessary to ensure that a Federal flight 

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1 eign country whenever necessary to partici2 pate in the program; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) shall take such actions as are 

4 within the authority of the Secretary to en5 sure that a Federal flight deck officer may 

6 carry a firearm while engaged in providing 

7 foreign air transportation. 

8 ‘‘(B) CONSISTENCY WITH FEDERAL AIR

9 MARSHAL PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall work 

10 to make policies relating to the carriage of fire11 arms on flights in foreign air transportation by 

12 Federal flight deck officers consistent with the 

13 policies of the Federal air marshal program for 

14 carrying firearms on such flights.’’. 

15 (c) CARRIAGE OF FIREARM IN PASSENGER CABIN.— 

16 (1) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Section 44921 

17 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by add18 ing at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(l) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec20 tion shall be construed to require a Federal flight deck 

21 officer to place a firearm in a locked container, or in any 

22 other manner render the firearm unavailable, when the 

23 cockpit door is opened.’’. 


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1 (2) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Section 

2 44921(b)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is 

3 amended— 

4 (A) by striking subparagraph (G); and 

5 (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (H) 

6 through (N) as subparagraphs (G) through 

7 (M), respectively. 

8 (d) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after 

9 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

10 Homeland Security shall— 

11 (1) prescribe regulations on the proper storage 

12 of firearms when a Federal flight deck officer is at 

13 home or where the officer is residing when traveling; 

14 and 

15 (2) revise the procedural requirements estab16 lished under section 44921(b)(1) of title 49, United 

17 States Code, to implement the amendments made by 

18 subsection (c). 

19 SEC. 4. PHYSICAL STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK 

20 OFFICERS. 

21 Section 44921(d)(2) of title 49, United States Code, 

22 is amended— 

23 (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), 

24 and (C) as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), respectively, 


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1 and by moving such clauses, as so redesignated, 2 

2 ems to the right; 

3 (2) by striking ‘‘A pilot is’’ and inserting the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A pilot is’’; and 

6 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(B) CONSISTENCY WITH REQUIREMENTS

8 FOR CERTAIN MEDICAL CERTIFICATES.—In es9 tablishing standards under subparagraph 

10 (A)(ii), the Secretary may not establish medical 

11 or physical standards for a pilot to become a 

12 Federal flight deck officer that are inconsistent 

13 with or more stringent than the requirements of 

14 the Federal Aviation Administration for the 

15 issuance of a first- or second-class airman med16 ical certificate under part 67 of title 14, Code 

17 of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding 

18 similar regulation or ruling).’’. 

19 SEC. 5. TRANSFER OF FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS 

20 FROM INACTIVE TO ACTIVE STATUS. 

21 Section 44921(d) of such title is amended by adding 

22 at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(5) TRANSFER FROM INACTIVE TO ACTIVE

24 STATUS.—A pilot deputized as a Federal flight deck 

25 officer who moves to inactive status may return to 


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1 active status after completing one program of recur2 rent training described in subsection (c).’’. 

3 SEC. 6. FACILITATION OF SECURITY SCREENING OF FED4 ERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS. 

5 Section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, as 

6 amended by section 3(c)(1), is further amended by adding 

7 at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(m) FACILITATION OF SECURITY SCREENING OF

9 FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS.— 

10 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBILITY FOR EXPEDITED SCREEN11 ING.—The Secretary shall allow a Federal flight 

12 deck officer to be screened through the crew member 

13 identity verification program of the Transportation 

14 Security Administration (commonly known as the 

15 ‘Known Crew Member program’) when entering the 

16 sterile area of an airport. 

17 ‘‘(2) PROHIBITION ON PAPERWORK.—The Sec18 retary may not require a Federal flight deck officer 

19 to fill out any forms or paperwork when entering the 

20 sterile area of an airport. 

21 ‘‘(3) STERILE AREA DEFINED.—In this sub22 section, the term ‘sterile area’ has the meaning given 

23 that term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Fed24 eral Regulations (or any corresponding similar regu25 lation or ruling).’’. 


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1 SEC. 7. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

2 Section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, as 

3 amended by this Act, is further amended— 

4 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Under Sec5 retary of Transportation for Security’’ and inserting 

6 ‘‘Secretary of Homeland Security’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (d)(4), by striking ‘‘may,’’ and 

8 inserting ‘‘may’’; 

9 (3) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘the Under 

10 Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘may’’; 

11 (4) in subsection (k)— 

12 (A) by striking paragraphs (2) and (3); 

13 and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘APPLICABILITY’’ and all 

15 that follows through ‘‘This section’’ and insert16 ing ‘‘APPLICABILITY.—This section’’; 

17 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(n) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 ‘‘(1) PILOT.—The term ‘pilot’ means an indi20 vidual who has final authority and responsibility for 

21 the operation and safety of the flight or any other 

22 flight deck crew member. 

23 ‘‘(2) ALL-CARGO AIR TRANSPORTATION.—The 

24 term ‘air transportation’ includes all-cargo air trans25 portation.’’; and 


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1 (6) by striking ‘‘Under Secretary’’ each place it 

2 appears and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’. 

3 SEC. 8. REFUNDS OF CERTAIN SECURITY SERVICE FEES 

4 FOR AIR CARRIERS WITH FEDERAL FLIGHT 

5 DECK OFFICERS ON ALL FLIGHTS. 

6 Section 44940 of title 49, United States Code, is 

7 amended by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(j) REFUND OF FEES FOR AIR CARRIERS WITH

9 FEDERAL FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS ON ALL FLIGHTS.— 

10 From fees received in a fiscal year under subsection 

11 (a)(1), each air carrier that certifies to the Secretary of 

12 Homeland Security that all flights operated by the air car13 rier have on board a pilot deputized as a Federal flight 

14 deck officer under section 44921 shall receive an amount 

15 equal to 10 percent of the fees collected under subsection 

16 (a)(1) from passengers on flights operated by that air car17 rier in that fiscal year.’’. 

18 SEC. 9. TREATMENT OF INFORMATION ABOUT FEDERAL 

19 FLIGHT DECK OFFICERS AS SENSITIVE SECU20 RITY INFORMATION. 

21 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact22 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

23 revise section 15.5(b)(11) of title 49, Code of Federal Reg24 ulations, to classify information about pilots deputized as 

25 Federal flight deck officers under section 44921 of title 


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1 49, United States Code, as sensitive security information 

2 in a manner consistent with the classification of informa3 tion about Federal air marshals. 

4 SEC. 10. REGULATIONS. 

5 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact6 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

7 prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry 

8 out this Act and the amendments made by this Act. 

Æ 


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